Creatures of the Deep

“Erich Hoyt captures the excitement and beauty of recent advances (in ocean science). With lavish photos and engaging, accurate prose, he takes readers on a journey of wonder through the ocean’s layers and around the planet, shedding light on extraordinary lives. The deeper you go, the less we know — only a few hundred of the thousands of species that live in the abyss have been photographed. Hoyt’s book showcases why we must do more to safeguard life in the sea.” —BBC Wildlife magazine. “There is exquisite beauty down below, but also a rich array of monsters. Hoyt brings learning and passion to the task of unveiling the most bizarre habitat on the planet.” —Geographical magazine. In this updated third edition of Creatures of the Deep, award-winning nature and science writer Erich Hoyt gives readers a glimpse of the amazing variety of creatures found in the deepest parts of the ocean. Weaving together details from the latest scientific research about sharks, giant squid, dragonfish, huge tube worms, clams and tiny microbes of the deep-sea vents, Hoyt embarks on a magical journey roaming across the abyssal plains and descending into deep-sea trenches more than 6,000 metres down. Hoyt unravels the complex predator-prey relationships, from “killer” copepods to battles between giant squid and sperm whales, presenting compelling portraits of animals that are superbly adapted denizens of a dark high-pressure world. There are life forms, independent of sunlight and photosynthesis, which flourish around the hot, sulphurous deep-sea vents in the magnificent rift valley of the mid-ocean ridge, the world’s longest mountain range. Surviving in conditions that appear to be close to the very soup of primordial Earth, these microbes have become the basis for the latest research into Earth’s origins. Fully illustrated with fantastic underwater imagery. Published to coincide with the start of the UN Decade for Ocean Science (2021-2030).